IONIA, Mich. — Construction along I-96 in Ionia County could begin sooner than originally planned, as crews prepare to enter the third phase of a major road repair project.
During this phase, traffic will be shifted to the westbound lanes and reduced down to a single lane between Bliss and Sunfield Roads.
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Originally scheduled to start in April, the Michigan Department of Transportation now says construction could begin as early as March 30th if the weather conditions allow.
“Weather here in Michigan can be pretty inconsistent, sporadic, and crazy,” said MDOT Grand Region Communications Representative John Richard, “so if contractors can get an early start on the project, they always can.”
Local towing companies say previous phases of the project have led to a significant increase in accidents.
“Construction always brings a lot more accidents,” Berry Bussell, owner of I-96 Towing & Repair said. “The other problem is they’re not single-car wrecks. Most of them are two, three, four, five cars, and often a semi is involved.”
His company is under contract with the state to respond to crashes in the construction zone, working to quickly clear wreckage and keep traffic moving.
“When there’s accidents or anything, the objective is to get the road cleared so traffic can keep moving,” Bussell said.
MDOT officials acknowledge the stretch of highway has been particularly dangerous during construction and say safety is a top priority moving forward.
“This particular work zone has been problematic with crashes,” Richard said. “Drivers are tuning out and not paying attention, so we’re trying to hit that hard this year with extra law enforcement and getting the word out.”
While the exact start date remains uncertain, the I-96 construction project is expected to wrap up in November.
Another segment of westbound I-96 from the weigh station to Sunfield Drive is also scheduled for reconstruction in 2027, though that timeline has not yet been finalized.
